On The Huffington Post, Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY)
declares her support for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The
following is an excerpt from the full post.

Last week, I had the honor of meeting a proud graduate of the US
Military Academy at West Point, NY – Lt. Dan Choi. Lt. Choi came to
my office to meet me and discuss how we right the wrong that has
occurred in his life and ensure others do not experience the same
injustice.

In 2003, Lt. Dan Choi graduated from West Point with a degree in
Arabic. Since graduating, Lt. Choi has served honorably in the 1st
Bn., 69th Infantry of the New York Army National Guard, including a
deployment in Iraq. Now, it appears his service may come to an end
simply because he has publicly said these three words: “I am
gay.”

Lt. Dan Choi is not alone. Since 1994 when the law was implemented,
approximately 13,000 able, knowledgeable, well-trained soldiers
have been discharged from the US military for being gay. 800 of
those discharged soldiers were — like Lt. Choi — experts in
mission critical disciplines.